Watercolor and Pen and Ink – Mixed Media

Recently I was commissioned to paint an old log cabin. The customer noticed that I did pen and inks in addition to watercolors and requested a mixed media painting. I had did this several times but found a few challenges ahead as I thought about the project.

The painting is called Derrick’s Log Cabin, 12 x 16 inches:

I used the following to create this piece while using watercolor and pen and ink.

1. I took an image the customer had sent me and I found some old carbon paper, this is hard to find now as everyone has went to digital paperwork.
2. I blew up the image and printed it out in two halves. For example, the painting was going to be a 12 x 16 inch work. My home printer only prints out 8.5 x 11 regular paper. I blew up the image to a 12 x 16 using JASC Photoshop and then cut the image in half calling each side, left half, right half. I then printed out each half and taped them together to make a 12 x 16 image.
3. I placed two equal sizes of carbon paper behind the images and transferred the image to my watercolor paper. The biggest problem I always have with painting is getting the perspective right. I can paint anything, but the hardest part is drawing the painting first. If you get that right the rest is easier. A good foundation makes an easier going project.
4. After having all of my edges straight and my initial perspective down for the house, background and foreground I began with the largest darkest areas first and followed with highlights.
5. The first unique tool I used was the “SHARPEE” marker. I filled in the windows and drew in some basic shapes for trees trying to not make any straight lines in the trees. I accomplished this by tilting the marker sideways and allowing it to skip on and off the paper while going up the trees. This creates a textured effect. Never try to over due the paper with pen and ink on trees or you will lose the realistic look of the trees.
6. I used black, Payne’s grey and white watercolor paint for the rest of the painting. The trees have shades of lighter black, grey and white. Just leaving the white of the paper to show created some of the whites.
7. The trees are a Payne’s grey and white mixture using different layers and shades to create depth. After painting the trees in I created some outline and structure to the trees using the SHARPEE once again.
8. In the foreground notice at the bottom of the house there are flowers and bushes. Leaving white blank spaces in shapes of flowers and bushes in front of the house created these.
9. To finish the work I used several different colors of chalk to further lift the layers to the viewer’s eye.

Derek McCrea
US Army by Profession…
Visual Artist by Choice
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